Shabpening-machine



R. A. ANSCHUTZ.

4SHARPENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLv.14,|916.

1,306,733. Patented June 17, 1919.

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R. A. ANSCHUTZ. SHARPENING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IULY I4, 1916.

1,305,733. Patented June 17, 1919.

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RUDOLPH A. ANSCHUTZ, 0F SPOKAN E, WASHINGTON.

SHARPENING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

Application filed July 14 ,1916. Serial No. 109,351.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that AI, RUDOLPH A. AN- so-HUTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of lVashingt-on, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sharpening Machines, of which the following is a specilieation.

This invention relates to improvements in sharpening machines and has t0 do more particularly with machinesfor sharpening razor blades or razor edges.

The device of my invention employs a stropping device which is in the form of an endless belt, the stropping action being performed by the laps of the belt, one lap running in one vdirection and the remaining lap running in the direction opposite to the first named direction. Now it is aL special object of this invention to simultaneously utilize the oppositely running laps where the machine is employed to sharpen double edged razor blades, such for instance as the safety Gillette type, in which utility, the chamfer or bevel of one edge, on one side of the blade is engaged with one lap while the remaining chamfer of the other edge and located on the opposite side of the blade will engage t-he remaining lap, the points of engagement preferably being on the inside faces of the laps. l

In carrying out this featureof the invention I have made it possible, and I consider it a feature of great importance to strop the bevels or bevel of the blade edge with the lap running parallel, or substantially so, with respect to the plane of the bevel engaged there-by, so as to entirely avoid stropping off the cutting edge of the blade. One novel way of performing this function is to dispose the oppositely or otherwise running laps in converging relation with respect to each other whereby the blade holder can be so positioned between the laps that the latter1 will assume an inclination coincident with the inclined surfaces presented by the bevels. I consider it specifically novel to accomplish this function by a single or endless belt and I also consider it novel, broadly, to perform this function the essence of this feature being to dispose the stropping element coinci dent in angle with respect to the bevel of the blade which it engages. I

A further feature of novelty resides in a blade holder supporting means whereby the blade holder when inserted into position will be capable of being spring actuated and rocked or tilted by a spring from its initial position into a stropping position.

Finally, to run the endless strop over two rollers, one being preferably a driving roller and the other an idler roller, one of said rollers being of reduced diameter with respect to the other whereby the laps of the strop will be disposed in converging relation.

Other features of novelty will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the Vappended claims. p

In the drawing Figure l is a plan View lof my improved sharpening machine showing the blade holder supported in an inoperative position with respect to the stropping means.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation looking toward the crank side of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation looking in the direction of arrow ,3, of Fig. l.

Fig. 4l is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the blade holder, similar to Fig. 5, showing the initial position of the holder when the same is inserted. l

Fig. 8 is aview blade showing the oppositely running strop.

Fig. 9 is a sectional View on line 9 9 of Fig.' 5.

Fig. l() is a plan view tion of the blade holder.

Like characters of reference designate similar Vparts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, my improved machine includes frame sides l and 2, side l being conof a single two-edged same disposed between laps of a single endless it is a feature of this invention is a' sectional view on line 5 5 of of the bottom porvenie'ntly designated as the crank side, and

side 2 being designated as the insertion side. The frame sides are not only spaced apart but they are also rigidly connected by post devices, *the posts being indicated at 8, 4, 5

vat 26.

only assist in holding the frame sides rigid but they also hold a skeleton bottom 9, in position, between the frame sides. Skeleton bottom 9 has upstanding lugs 10 and 11 for engagement with the opposite ends of the lower posts and the points of juncture are all identical and may therefore be clearly explained by reference to Fig. 9. It will be seen by reference to this figure that the end 12, of the post is reduced to form shoulders 18. The lugs 10 and 11 are slotted, as indicated at 14C and 15 andthe slots are reduced in size with respect to the diameter of the posts, the width of each slot being equal to the distance across the reduced end 12 thereby causing the shoulders 13 1to abut against lug 10. Thus when screws 16 are turned home, it will be seen that these lower post devices perform the dual function of spacing and connecting means and also bottom holding means. In all embodiments, l do not consider it essential to employ a bottom although l find it useful when the machine is only partly resting in full on a fiat support with the crank port-ion or crank side partly overhanging the edge of the support, in which case, the bottom performs the useful function of holding the machine level on the support.

t is one of the features of this invention to employ a single endless belt strop and to provide means for holding the strop in such running position that both of its laps may be utilized in such relation to opposite bevels of a. blade that the strop will be substan tially parallel with the bevel that it engages so as not to strop off the cutting edge of the blade.

In carrying out this feature of'my invention in the specific form shown, l employ a relatively large driving roller 17 and a relatively small idler roller 18, over which rollers a single, endless stropping belt 19 is trained. The driving roller is loosely mounted on a fixed shaft 2O which is connected with the frame sides by screws 21. On one end of said roller 17 l provide gear teeth 22 with which a pawl 23 is forced into engagement by a spring 211, the spring being anchored at 25 and the pawl being pivoted Gear 22 meshes with an idler 27, journaled on frame side 1, and being fast to an outside idler 28. Outside idler 28 meshes with a crank gear 29, journaled on frame side 1. Crank gear 29 is preferably removably held in position by a button 30 having a threaded shank 31 extending into a blade supporting spindle 32. Crank wheel 29 is provided with a crank 33 having a crank handle 34 projecting laterally of the frame side 1. Thus it will be seen that by removably mounting the crank wheel and crank, the latter can be taken off when the machine is shipped and disposed inside of the frame sides and upon the strop.

It will now be seen that by rotating the crank, motion will be transmitted to the driving roller 17 in a clock-wise direction with reference to Fig. 5, the pawl 23 preventing the roller from being turned in a contra-clockwise direction.

Reference will next be made to the idler roller and tension means therefor.

Roller 18- is mounted upon a shaft 35 which extends loosely through said roller whereby the latter may freely rotate thereon. The ends of the shaft are reduced as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1 at 36 where it will be seen that said reduced ends extend through coupling links 37 and also into journal slots 38 in the frame sides 1 and 2 wherein the ends of said shaft are slidable linearly but are held against movement away from said slot. The ends of the roller 1S abut against the link connections 87 so as to hold the latter in fiat abutting engagement against the inside faces of the frame sides. A tension shaft 39 is disposed at the left of idler 18 and is provided with reduced ends, similar to the reduced ends of shaft 35 to form abutting shoulders against links 87, the reduced ends extending through the journal slots 38 and being provided with screws 40 for holding the parts together. It will be understood that the tension shaft is arranged to slide loosely in the jour `ail slots 38. Rearwardly of the tension shaft l provide a tension bar 41 having bent terminal ends 42 adapted to seat in enlarged terminal ends 43, of slots 3S. A threaded tension rod #la extends through tension bar Ll1, loosely, and is centrally pivoted at 45 to tension shaft 39. A tension nut -l is threaded on tension rod lt to adjust tension shaft 39.

New it will be clearly understood that tension stress is applied to tension shaft by a centrally disposed pivot, and that when tension shaft 39 is adjusted te the left of Fig. 5 it will act upon the ends of shaft. 35 to tension the idler 18. The parts are sufliciently loose to permit the idler 18 to assume a position either exactly parallel with the driving roller or at a slight angle to the latter in order to compensate for any slight inequal ity of marginal length of the stropping belt. Of course such inequalities will be very slight but the importance of this feature will be readily appreciated when it is understood that this compensating arrangemeut j provides for uniformly taut strop irrespective of inequalities of the latter. 1n a sharpening machine of this character, it is of the greatest advantage to have the strop uniformly taut.

llt will now be clear by reference to Fig. 5, that the laps of the stropping belt converge toward the smaller roller, and l will now describe the means for holding the blade and the importance of this converging feature.

Reference will now be made to the manner in which the blade is held in order tov tion 47 fromone endof'which a 'handle 48 extends. A shoulder 49 is-formed by the base of the handle, for one end of the blade, and a shoulder 50, preferably in the form of a lug, is provided for the other end. vAs is well known, the"Gillette blade, as designated at 51 is provided with 4threeopenings for projection therethrough of holding studs 52 and a locking stud The holding studs are slightly greater in height lthan the thickness of the blade and the locking stud 53 also extends above the blade and is provided with a scarfed locking notch 54,'the purpose of which will presently appear. A top 4plate 55 seats on the razor blade and is provided with three openings to receive said studs. The studs therefore hold the bladej and top plate in predetermined positions. On the top plate is a locking bar 56 which is pivoted thereto at 57 and which is Vprovided with a chamfered notch 58 for engagement with the locking stud 54. The bar 56 is provided with a slightly protruding finger grip 59 whereby the bar maybe shifted into a releasing position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.- v 1 My blade holder has a bore, as indicated at 60, formed in the base portion 47. lVhen the blade holder is not in an operative position, it is slid onto a holder support or stem 6l, projecting 'from Vpost 3, as clearly indicated in Fig. l. This disposes theiblade holder below the top margins of the sides ll and 2 so as not to device.

Reference will nextbe made to the manner in which the blade holder is inserted into and supported in'position to sharpen the blade held thereby.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the side 2 is provided with an insertion opening 62 which is shaped approximately -to conform to the vcross section of the blade holder, a feature ybeing that the vsaid opening is so disposed that the blade holder cannot be inserted into position in such a manner that the blade, held b-y the holder, could even touch the strop. In other words, the bore 60 telescopes over spindle 32, in the position shown in Fig. 7, until the holder is completely moved into a final position, as shown in Fig. 6. After the holder has passed beyond the wallsof the opening 62, then the holder is free to be tilted from the position interfere with packing the shown in Fig. 7, tothe position shown in I provide `automatic means for per- Fig. 5. A forming this function 'which I will now describe in detail. 1

Said automaticmeans comprises, in the present constructiom a spring which is preferably in the form of a yoke, or in other words of U-shaped construction. The bight of said spring has a-central. portion 63 for engagement with the top plate 55, of theV blade holder, aswill be more clearly seen by reference to Figs. 5 and 7. The bight slants upwardly, in both directions, from this central engaging portion 63, as clearly indicated at 64. Limbs 65 extend laterally from the bight portionV and each limb has a single wind Yor convolution 66, to provide for tension, the terminal ends of the limbs being attached to studs 67, screws 68 serving to rotatively adjust or clamp the studs intheir rotated adjustments for tensioning theV spring. Now it will be seen that the spring willv not have to be independently lifted when the blade' holder is inserted by reasony of the yfact that the upwardly inclined portions 64 will permit insertion of the holder in the position shown in Fig. 7, the plate 55 sliding under the inclined portion of the spring. After the holder has been released,

when fully inserted, then the spring will tilt the holder fromV the position shown in Fig.

7 to the position shown in Fig. 5. Av stop 69 serves to limit rocking or tilting movement of the holder under the action of thespring and I preferably recess the base portion 47 as indicated at 70, to permit of suflicient rocking movement of the holder to engage both blade edges with the strops. A stop 7l yserves as a. bearing against which the holder may be locked when taking the latter out of the machine.

It will be noted that the bore 60 is not centrally disposed with respect to the transp verse dimension of the holder but is laterally disposed 'with respect toY such center. This disposition of the bore, together with the location of the supporting spindle 32 and the convergence of the strop laps is' such that when the holder is automatically tilted into a stropping position, one bevel 72, on one side of the blade, and the other bevel 7 3, on the other side of the blade, will be simultaneously thrown into stropping engagement with the oppositely running strops or strop Y portions 74 and 75, respectively, and preferably with the inside faces thereof. By reference to Fig. 8, it will be seen that when the blade is held in a substantially fixed position, by engagement of the blade holder with stop 69, these noted bevels will be parallel with the planes occupied bythe strop portions Withwhich they engage. Itwill now be clear that these laps cannot strop off the cutting edges 76 and 7 7 as would vbe the case, if the laps of the strop werenot paralarrangement that I am able to dispose the bevels in parallel relation with the strop la s.

1lfter bevels 7 2 and 73 have been stropped, then the holder is removed and the blade is inverted for the purpose of stropping bevels 7 8 and 79. Now in the event of any lack of absolute accuracy, it will be Very clear that the second stropping will compensate for any excessive action or' the strops on the lirst bevels, and this will be true notwithstanding the statement made that the cutting edges will not be stropped orf.

It will be understood that I am not limited in the use of this machine to razor blades having two cutting edges as it will be very clear that holders for single edge blades may be inserted in substantially the same manner as the present holder, one bevel being first engaged by strop 74e, whereupon the blade will be inverted to engage its other bevel with strop 7a. It will also be clear that even with a single edge blade, the main feature of the invention will be of utility since in such case the bevels of the blade will be held parallel with the strop lap.

It is believed that the utility and advantages of my invention will be Jfully understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown and described one speciiic fprm of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

l. In a blade sharpening machine, an endless strop, a relatively large roller for supporting one bight of said strop and a relatively small roller for supporting the remaining bight of said strop whereby the laps of said strop will converge toward the smaller roller and the laps of said strop being unrestrained between said rollers to permit said laps to assume the position of convergence caused by said rollers, and means for supporting a double edge blade between said laps in a position to engage the chamfer or bevel of one edge on one side of said blade with one lap of said strop and one bevel of the other edge and on the other side of said blade with the remaining lap of said strop, said means being rotatively movable about a fixed axis disposed nearer to one lap than the other and nearer one cutting edge of the blade than the other, whereby said blade holding means will engage said bevels at angles coincident with said laps withouty stropping off the cutting edges of said blade, substantially as described.

,2. In a sharpening machine, a frame provided with a lateral blade holder opening, stropping means comprising spaced stropping laps, a fixed blade holding spindle projecting between said laps and toward said opening, a blade holder insertible into said opening and telescoping said spindle for rotative support of the holder between said laps, a spring for automatically tilting said holder to dispose the bladey held thereby in engagement with said laps, a stop limiting movement of said blade holder under the action of said spring, said stop being positioned to prevent rocking movement of said holder by said spring sufliciently to engage the cutting edges of saidI blade with said laps, substantially as described.

3. In a sharpening machine, a frame provided with a lateral blade holder opening, stropping means, a blade holder supporting spindle extending across said stropping means, a blade holder insertible through said opening and telescoping said spindle, and a spring fixed to said frame and having an inclined portion for engagement with said blade holder to tilt the latter on said spindle into operative arrangement with said stropping means, substantially as described.

Il. In a. sharpening machine, oppositely running strop laps, means for rockingly supporting a blade holder between said laps, frame sides for said machine, land a U- shaped spring having its ends adjustable on said frame sides and having a bight portion extending between said laps for engagement with said holder to rock the same and dispose the blade held thereby in engagement with one .of said laps, substantially as described.

In a sharpening machine, opposi-tely running strop laps, means for rockingly supporting a blade holder between said laps, frame sides for said machine, and a U-shaped spring having its ends mounted on said frame sides and provided with a bight portion extending between said laps, said bight portion being oppositely inclined downwardly toward its longitudinal center for engagement with said blade holder, substantially as described.

6. In a sharpening machine, an endless strop, a relatively largerroller supporting one bight of said strop and a relatively small roller supporting the remaining bight of said strop whereby the laps of said strop will converge toward the small roller and the laps being otherwise unrestrained against assuming the convergence caused by said rollers, and blade holding means supporting one cutting edge of the blade nearest the small roller and the other edge nearest said large roller, said holding means being rotative about a fixed axis disposed at one side of the blade and nearer one lap than the other and nearer that blade edge projecting toward the large roller than to that edge projecting toward the small roller, whereby when said blade holding means is rocked to dispose its bevels on opposite sides in engagement with opposite laps, the bevels Will be in parallel relation with the laps With Which they engage thereby preventing the laps from stropping off the cutting edges of said blades, substantially as described.

7. In a sharpening machine, an endless strop, a large and a small roller over Which the strop is trained, means for holding a blade between said strops, a support on which said means is mounted to rock Whereby opposite bevels of opposite edges of the blade may be engaged With opposite laps of the strop, the disposi-tion of said support Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

With respect to the blade and with respect to the degree of separation of the laps of the strop and also the degree of convergence of the latter being such that When said means is rocked to bring said opposite bevels into engagement With said opposite laps, the opposite bevels will engage the laps in parallel relation thereby preventing the laps from stropping off the cutting edges of the blade, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hereby aiix my signature.

RUDOLPH A. ANSCHUTZ.

"Commissioner of Patents, 

